Though the dueling duo that is Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi is a permanent preference debate among cola drinkers, Mountain Dew — with its neon green color and distinct citrus taste — has no prominent counterpart challenging it. Still, PepsiCo, which owns Mountain Dew, has rolled out its fair share of flavors to continue captivating customers, from the early 2000s Code Red to the recently released fruitcake-flavored Mountain Dew Fruit Quake.
Along the way, the soft-drink giant has also released flavors exclusive to specific restaurants, most notably Taco Bell’s Baja Blast. Among its extensive varieties, few have been met with as much fanfare as Mountain Dew Pitch Black, which is being rereleased in January.
@mountaindew You can stop asking. Mtn Dew Pitch Black is coming back. Celebrate accordingly.
♬ original sound – Mountain Dew
The purple beverage made its debut in 2004, marketed as a Halloween-inspired, grape-flavored refresher. The limited-time flavor was resurrected two years later as a 7-Eleven Slurpee option. Since its inception, Pitch Black has sporadically resurfaced as part of promotions allowing Dew-drinkers to vote for which flavors they wanted to bring back. Pitch Black last appeared at Speedway soda fountains in 2019, but the flavor is coming back to life in more than one variety.
Gallery: Mountain Dew Moonshine and More Secret Brand Histories
Starting in January, fans who demanded the return of the dark fruit Dew will see the flavor available in regular, zero-sugar, and energy drink iterations. We’ll patiently wait to see if the Slurpee version resurfaces too.
